This section introduces aspects that may be helpful in facilitating a better understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
Communication via computer networks frequently involves far more than transmitting text. Computer networks, such as the Internet, can also be used for audio communication and visual communication. Still images and video are examples of visual data that may be transmitted over such networks.
One or more cameras may be coupled to a computing device, such as a personal computer (PC), to provide visual communication. The camera or cameras can then be used to transmit real-time visual information, such as video, over a computer network. Dual transmission can be used to allow audio transmission with the video information. Whether in one-to-one communication sessions or through videoconferencing with multiple participants, participants can communicate via audio and video in real time over a computer network (i.e., voice-video communication).
During video conferences, the cameras and images of remote users are physically separate. This leads to participants appearing not to look at the camera but to an off-axis location, which many video conferencing participants find uncomfortable and annoying. This gaze misdirection is often cited as one of the major subjective issues in conferencing, especially during one on one meetings. This problem requires that, relative to the user, the direction of the image of the remote user and the direction of the camera should be coincident, which is generally impractical.